Climate change challenge: strategies for apple growing in Catalonia

January 2025 | Presented by Luis González Nieto, IRTA, Spain | Future Orchards® presentation

Luis González Nieto of IRTA examines how apple production in Catalonia is adapting to a warmer and more variable climate. The presentation was shared with Australian growers during the January 2025 Future Orchards® summer program and provides an international example of climate adaptation in a major fruit-growing region.

The resource considers the production risks created by rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and increasing pressure from pests and other climate-related stresses. These changes affect orchard site suitability, water management, crop development, fruit quality and the long-term viability of existing production systems.

For Australian growers, the value of the presentation is in comparing how another warm-climate apple industry is approaching adaptation. Strategies need to be assessed in the context of local water availability, orchard system, cultivar, rootstock and market requirements rather than copied directly between regions.

The presentation forms part of the Future Orchards® climate-adaptation library and is best used as a strategic resource for growers planning redevelopment, future plantings and investment under changing climate conditions.